Bird Strike Suspected in January Sikorsky Crash

[Matt Molnar]

WSJ:

Bird Strike Is New Suspect in Helicopter Crash

By ANDY PASZTOR

Federal investigators increasingly suspect that a collision with a bird led to the crash last month of a widely used Sikorsky helicopter model that killed eight people in the Gulf of Mexico, according to industry officials and safety experts.

The Jan. 4 crash of the Sikorsky S-76C chopper, manufactured by a unit of United Technologies Corp., initially had stumped crash investigators, who had previously ruled out engine, transmission, electrical or hydraulic failures. The National Transportation Safety Board, which is heading the probe, also said the chopper didn't run out of fuel, hit some other aircraft or suffer a problem with its rotors. Now, investigators think a bird strike destroyed the windshield, which somehow resulted in nearly turning off the engines. [Full Article]

[USAF Pilot 07]

Birds man, they'll ruin your day... Had two vultures fly in-between me and my wingman the other day during a formation flight (we were in route formation about 100 feet apart so not too huge of a deal). They're all over the place, it sucks, it's almost like a game "birds high - birds left - birds low...."

I saw a news clip today about a vulture that smashed into the front of a piper or something like that and injured the pilot. Luckily he was able to land safely...